


The Curve

by nanda (nandamai)



Category: Latter Days (2003)
Genre: Chastity Device, Established Relationship, Insecurity, M/M, Post-Movie(s), Sex Toys, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-03-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 02:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/743306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nandamai/pseuds/nanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a few weeks before Aaron asks, but Christian can tell from the way the words rush out that the question's been on the tip of his tongue for a while, probably since he first came back. "Don't you miss going out every night?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Curve

It's a few weeks before Aaron asks, but Christian can tell from the way the words rush out that the question's been on the tip of his tongue for a while, probably since he first came back.

"Don't you miss going out every night?" Aaron says. They're lying in bed, facing each other, legs intertwined, after a long night of slow sex; they've gotten in the habit of doing this afterwards, sharing secrets and joys. It's easier then, because really, passion aside, they still don't know each other well.

Christian decides to go with humor and wraps his hand around Aaron's well-used dick. "With this waiting for me at home? Are you kidding?"

Aaron wriggles a little, with a very pretty smile. His dick tries to perk up, but even an almost-twenty-year-old has limits and they've been passed tonight. Chris pulls him close and nuzzles his neck.

The thing is, Christian does miss his old life, a little. He gets restless after work, finds it difficult to climb straight into bed when he gets home. He misses dancing, the thought of which makes Aaron squirm -- the last time he tried it was with a date at his high school prom, which was awkward for obvious reasons. Sometimes Christian even misses tequila shots.

But he's not an idiot, and what he's got right here, in his bed, is big and precious and way more important than what he's left behind.

*

The second time, it's more a suggestion than a question. Aaron's got a job at the Trader Joe's closest to their place and he works the late shift, but he still gets home before Christian. One night when the Santa Anas have been blowing and everybody's a little crazy and Christian is already sweaty just from climbing the stairs, Aaron opens the door before Chris can get his keys out, pulls him inside, and pushes him right back against it with a messy kiss. They make out happily for a while. No words are necessary.

When they take a break, Christian pulls back and looks Aaron in the eye. "Is that a door fetish or are you just happy to see me?" 

Aaron grins. "A little of both."

"Yeah? We'll have to explore this further. It's a very nice way to come home."

After some more lip-locking, Aaron says with crooked smile and bitten lips, "You know, I used to spend a lot of time watching this door, when you brought all those guys home."

"I know. It was very distracting. You were so much more interesting than any of them." 

Christian's not sure Aaron believes him, so he pulls him towards the bedroom, to prove it.

*

The third time is on a Sunday. Traci's sister is in town and Andrew has a new guy he's crazy about, so the six of them go out for brunch. Only Traci's in one of those moods where she just wants to egg everyone on, maybe showing off a little, and Andrew's still trying to impress his boyfriend by not crowing about his endless sexual misadventures. So Christian takes the brunt of the teasing, which he normally wouldn't mind. The litany of his past conquests is funny for a while -- even Aaron laughs -- but Christian can see a hint of something in his eyes.

"Come on, stop," he says finally, still laughing. "You know I don't want any of that anymore."

"Are you sure?" Aaron asks. 

The table goes quiet, and everyone else is suddenly dying for more waffles.

Aaron smiles ruefully. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It was just a joke."

It wasn't, though. Christian's still not an idiot. "Aaron, I'm not going anywhere, okay? You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Aaron says too quickly.

Christian takes Aaron's hand and gets right up into his face, nose to nose. "Then stop worrying. I love you." 

Aaron's beaming smile seems to be the sign for everyone else to come back, and nobody's stupid enough to continue that conversation. But later, when Andrew follows Christian to the men's room, he doesn't waste any time.

"Is he okay?" Andrew asks. "I thought he was doing okay."

"No, he is. He's great." And he is, most -- almost all -- of the time. "It's just, his family was really close, you know? And now all he's got is me. It freaks him out sometimes."

"God knows I would be concerned if all I had to depend on was your white ass," Andrew says.

Christian laughs, but inside he's still wondering how he can finally convince Aaron that he's become a one-man man. Most of the time, he's sure Aaron knows that. But knowing and feeling are two different things.

*

The fourth time is completely Christian's fault. "Which of those guys would you do?" he asks thoughtlessly, pointing at a couple working with a personal trainer. They're obviously happy, smiling and teasing each other, and Christian's bored with his reps.

Aaron rarely joins him at the gym, preferring to run outside. But it's pouring, and Christian likes it when he comes along, so he cajoled Aaron until he gave in. Aaron stares at the guys, then at Christian. He fiddles with the hem of his t-shirt, which Christian knows is a bad sign. "I don't," Aaron starts. "I don't want anybody. Just you."

"I know that! I don't, either." But Christian wants to kick himself. Aaron's only been out for a few months; he hasn't learned all the clichés yet. "It's just a game. It doesn't mean anything." 

"Let's play a different game," Aaron says with a forced smile. "Maybe at home?"

* 

The fifth time ("I know, I'm boring. Aren't you bored?") Christian decides he needs to take action.

 

***

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." Christian smirked like his head was full of dirty thoughts. 

"Does it involve food you don't think you should eat?"

"Nope."

"Naked men?"

"Nope."

"Chris, come on."

"Patience!"

Aaron crossed his arms, settled back in the passenger seat, and pretended to pout. 

Christian didn't fall for it. He laughed outright and glanced sideways at Aaron as he flicked on the turn signal in front of a store they'd driven by a hundred times. "See?"

"Don't you already have a whole drawer full of this stuff?" They'd only just started experimenting with a few, here and there. It would be a long time before hands and mouths stopped being novel, for Aaron.

"Two drawers," Christian said as they climbed out of the car. "But I don't have what we're here for."

"Which is?"

"Just trust me. Come on."

Aaron figured Christian hadn't led him wrong yet, so he shrugged, took Christian's hand, and followed him inside.

It was less seedy than Aaron expected. In fact, it wasn't seedy at all. It was bright and clean and well-lit, with red walls and perfectly ordered shelves full of books, condoms, and other mostly presentable items. As they entered, a pretty girl somewhere between Aaron's age and Christian's said hello from behind the cash register.

Christian led him upstairs, where another employee, an expensively dressed, middle-aged man, asked if he could help them find anything.

Christian said, "Chastity?" and Aaron almost laughed. He'd been reminded of the Law of Chastity daily during the few months he'd been back in Idaho, after he'd first met Christian, and in this context it was jarring.

"I do not think that word means what I think it means," he said quietly to Christian as they walked past anal plugs and vibrators and more. Someday Aaron might know all their names.

"Ha! Princess Bride!" Christian said. 

"Duh. Too easy. No points."

"Hey!"

They stopped in front of a display of what could have been torture implements. The handcuffs and whips and rope, off to the left, Aaron knew what to do with; they didn't appeal to him, at least not yet, but he wasn't completely naive. But the penis-sized rings with the sharp metal teeth inside? The metal plate with a hole in the middle and screws on both ends?

"Can I answer some questions, or should I leave you to browse?" their guide asked. 

Aaron had lots of questions, but Christian, already distracted, said, "We're good, thanks." He picked up a clear, curved, acrylic ... thing. It had holes on both sides and on the end. Then he picked up what looked like a steel version of the same thing. "I think metal would be too cold. What do you think?"

"I don't even know what it is yet." Aaron scanned the product description and pictures that were posted helpfully above the shelf. "Wait, you -- how does it even fit in there?" Christian's penis was long and thin, like Christian himself, and Aaron's wasn't tiny, either, according to Christian. Aaron didn't see how this was going to work.

Christian gave him his _you're so adorable_ look, because Aaron had made it clear he'd be in pain the next time he said it aloud. "You put it on when you're soft."

"And leave it there?" There was even a lock on top. A lock! "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"For fun?"

It didn't look like fun to Aaron. It looked a bit like something he'd been made to wear not so long ago. "You do remember what they did to me, right?" he said more sarcastically than he'd meant to. 

Christian just looked confused.

"With the chair? And the pictures? And ... that --" he waved vaguely at the two things Christian still held in his hands.

Christian gasped and dropped them back on the shelf. They knocked another sample on its side as they fell. "I'm sorry." He pulled Aaron into a close hug. "I didn't think of that. I should have. I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. I'm not upset, okay?" He pulled away and looked Christian in the eye. "Just explain this to me. Please? It is for you, right?"

"Yes! I would never ask you to do this. I just, I'd wear it, right? And it would make me think of you all the time, as if I don't do that already. And I'd give you the key." He righted the plastic one, flicked the small padlock, gave Aaron a lascivious grin, and leaned in close to whisper in Aaron's ear. "See? I couldn't even touch myself without you there to unlock me."

Aaron's cock twitched in his jeans, and Christian noticed. 

"Ah, now you're interested," he teased.

Aaron scowled at him, only half joking. "I don't need to lock you up, Christian. I trust you."

"I know," Chris said brightly.

"Then why -- do you think you need to prove something to me?"

"No, I think you need to prove something to yourself."

"I --" Anger rose in Aaron's throat, but he forced it back down. Christian was a lot smarter than people, even Aaron sometimes, gave him credit for, and Aaron was learning that when Christian gave him that look, he was probably on to something. "Can we go back to the car?"

"Yeah, of course," Christian said with a small grimace.

This time, Christian trailed behind Aaron. As soon as they reached the parking lot, Chris said, "Aaron, I'm sorry. I should have thought --"

"It's not that."

"No?" Christian leaned against the hood of his car, sparkling in the sun, and Aaron stood between his legs, his arms around Chris' neck. Aaron dropped his head and Christian kissed his hair. "You okay?" Chris asked.

"It's just," Aaron started. What was it, exactly? If he was honest, he'd have to admit that, just as Christian had hinted, all the doubts Aaron had left were about himself. "It's just that you've done _everything_. You've done things I haven't even heard of yet."

"I haven't done this," Chris said quietly.

"And I barely know what I'm doing. Some days I don't get how it's enough for you."

"You know what you're doing, believe me." Christian raked his eyes down to Aaron's groin, and slowly back up. 

Aaron blushed. "I don't, though. All I know is what you've taught me."

"Which is incredibly hot."

"Me being clueless is hot?"

"God, Aaron, you're not clueless. Stop devaluing yourself."

Aaron bit his lip.

"Okay, maybe about relationships, but so am I." They shared a quiet laugh at that. "Look," Christian said, "you're a quick learner, not just about sex, but about me. You're not afraid to try anything but dancing and coffee, and you're really, truly, unbelievably hot. _And_ you stick around afterwards. Why would I want more than that?"

"I have to stick around. I live there."

"And I love you, you idiot." He jiggled Aaron's hips back and forth in his hands. "If you had to choose between a week with a different guy every night, and I mean really hot guys, or a week with me, what would you pick?"

"Duh." Aaron started to smile, a little bit.

"Then why would it surprise you that I'd make the same choice?"

"You should be a writer," Aaron teased, instead of answering. "A political writer, maybe. You're good with the speeches."

"That's your response?" Christian teased right back. "I bare my heart to you, and that's your response?

"You bare your heart every freaking day," Aaron said, grinning and leaning in for a quick kiss. "But I get what you're saying. You don't have to buy that thing."

"But I want to!" Christian turned the flirting back on like a switch. "Can we?"

"Did you see how much it cost? That's, like, three weeks of groceries."

"I worked a lot of overtime last week."

"To pay for this?"

Christian started looking shifty. "Maybe."

Aaron took Christian's face between his hands and got right up close as he said, "You're adorable."


End file.
